Football dryer

ABSTRACT

A hollow housing defining a generally central cavity therein for receiving a football to be dried. The cavity opens outwardly of one end of the housing and the housing includes a cover for the open end of the cavity provided with air outlet openings. The other end of the housing remote from the cover includes an air inlet opening and an air blower assembly is disposed within the housing for pumping air therethrough from the air inlet openings to the air outlet openings. Further, the housing additionally includes internal heating coils over which the air being pumped through the housing is passed.

[451 Aug. 29, 1972 United States Patent Beadle, Jr.

Davis et a1.

[54] FOOTBALL DRYER [72] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-Carroll B. Dority, Jr.

Attorney-Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacob- Beadle, Morgan City, La. a part interest to each Oct. 5

[ ABSTRACT A hollow housing defining a generally central cavity g [22] Filed:

[21] A L N 78,094 therein for receiving a football to be dried. The cavity opens outwardly of one end of the housing and the housing includes a cover for the open end of the cavi- 00 6 O 6 M92 91 lbw 2 2 ,M2/ 6F 9 6 B 0. 9 u .1 2 MM a W. MM 2 "3 4 m" 3 "n mh W M 0 C S M UhF 1111] 2100 555 ty provided with air outlet openings. The other end of the housing remote from the cover includes an air inlet opening and an air blower assembly is disposed within the housing for pumping air therethrough from the air inlet openings to the air outlet openings.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Further, the housing additionally includes internal heating coils over which the air being pumped through the housing is passed.

2,438,762 3/1948 McLeckie....................34/202 2,623,301 12/1952 Weiskopf ....34/202 3Claims,4DrawingFigures awning,

FOOTBALL DRYER The football dryer of the instant invention has been designed to provide an apparatus which will be capable of drying one football while another previously dried football is being used in a football game. In this manner, if a football game is being played in inclement weather, each time a play is completed the football used inthe completed play may have mud or other foreign matter wiped therefrom and may be placed within the football dryer after removal of the ball previously dried in the dryer and the last dried football removed from the'dryer may be utilized in the next play on the football field. This will of course insure that at as well as water from the outer surface of the football not in play. However, the towels used for wiping the footballs not in play must be at least nearly dry if the football wiped is itself to be at least substantially dried. Accordingly, a towel can be used only once to dry a football inasmuch as it is thereafter too clamp to dry the next football. Therefore, a large number of towels would be used during a football game played in incle-. ment weather if a new towel was used to wipe a football after each play of the game. The football dryer of the instant invention enables a single towel to be utilized a plurality of times in wiping mud and other debris from footballs and at least partially drying the footballs. After the footballs have been wiped and at least par- These together with" other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the football dryer illustrating the adjustable shoulder strap and handle for support of the football dryer either from the shoulder or in the hand;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing through i the longitudinal centerline of the dryer;

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional viewtaken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring circuit of the football dryer.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates the football dryer of the instant invention. The dryer 10 comprises an elongated housing 12 in the general shape of a football and which is approximately 2% times the length of a football. The housing 12 includes a pair of anchor members 14 secured thereto at points spaced longitudinally along its upper surface and the opposite end portions of tially dried, the wiped footballs are placed within the dryer and the drying operation is completed prior to the next play of the football game during which the football being dried will be used. Therefore, the football dryer of the instant invention, when utilized in conjunction with a far smaller number of towels, may be utilized to effectively maintain the two footballs used alternately in a football game clean and dry even when the football game is being played in inclement weather.

The main object of this invention is to provide a football dryer to be utilized in conjunction with a wiping rag or towel during a football game forthe purpose of completing the drying operation on a football after the football has been wiped clean and partially dried with a rag of towel.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the preceding object, is to provide a football dryer which may-be readily carried along-the sidelines during a football game so as to be maintained in as close proximity to the point at which the football is downed after each play as is possible.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a football dryer of a shape which will be compatible with the shape'of the football to be dried therein.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a football drier which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

the anchor members 14. In addition, the top wall portion of the housing 12 also has a handle 18 secured thereto intermediate the anchor members 14 whereby the housing 12 may also be supported from the hand of the user.

The housing 12 is hollow and includes front and rear ends. The front end of the housing 12 is defined by a conical end section 18 which is hinged to the top wall portion of the housing 12 as at 20. The end section 18 includes air outlet openings 22 and a spring clip 24 on its free swinging peripheral portion releasably engageable with a detent 26 carried by the housing 12 for releasably securing the end section 18 in the closed position thereof illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

A generally annular partition 28 is secured in the rear end portion of the housing 12 and a generally cylindrical inner wall assembly 30 secured in the housing 12 and projects forwardly of the partition 28 to the open end of the housing 12 closed by the end section 18. The cylindrical wall assembly 30 has its rear end secured in the central opening 32 defined in the partition 28 and its forward end is secured to the adjacent forward edge portions of the housing 12.

The lower wall portions 'of the rear end portion of the housing 12 are provided with air inlet slots 34 and the area between the outer surfaces of the wall assembly 30 and the inner surfaces of the center portion of the housing 12 is filled witha suitable insulative body 36. In addition, a similar insulative body 38 is seated in the rear output shaft portion 46 disposed within the cavity 42 and having air impeller blades 48 mounted thereon. In addition, an electrical resistance heating element 50 is disposed within the cavity 42 forwardly of the impeller blades 48.

An on-off switch 52 is secured through the undersurface of the rear end of the housing 12 and a thermostat 54 is supported from the lower portions of the wall assembly 30. In addition, a wire basket 56, defined by a pair of U-shaped members 57, is secured within the forward end of the recess and opens forwardly through the front end of the housing 12. The basket 56 is of a size and shape to snugly receive a football such as football 58 therein and it will be noted that the end section 18 may be swung to and releasably retained in the closed position thereof illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings when the football 58 is disposed within the basket 56.

As can be seen from FIG. 4 of the drawings, the electric motor 44 is connected in parallel within a circuit 66 operatively connected to a suitable source 68 of electrical potential. The circuit 66 has the switch 52 serially connected therein and the electrical resistance heating element 50 is also connected in the circuit in parallel relation with the motor 44. However, the thermostat 54 is connected in series in that portion of the circuit in which heating element 50 is disposed and thereby controls the latter. a

In operation, the user of the football dryer may either carry the housing 12 by the handle 18 or by the shoulder strap 16 and may move along the sidelines during a football game. The circuit 66 may be electrically connected to the source 68 by an extension cord or the like and after each play is completed the football used in that play may be thrown to the sidelines and given to the user of the dryer 10 as a' dry ball is thrown back onto the field. The user of the dryer 10 will then wipe the football 58 as clean and as dry as can be accomplished by a towel or rag supplied to him for the purpose and the football is placed withinthe basket 56 after which the end section 18 may be closed and the switch 52 may be closed in order to actuate both the motor 44 and the electrical resistance heating element 50. The motor 44 will of course turn the impeller blades 48 and cause air to be pumped through the cavity 42 and out the openings 22. Of course, the air pumped through the housing 10 passes the electrical resistance heating element 50 and is thus heated for further drying the football 58.

Then, as the next football play is completed, the football used in that play is thrown to the sideline and the football 58 is thrown back on the field.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A football dryer comprising an elongated hollow football-shaped housing defining a central longitudinal cylindrical chamber therein, one end of said housing including an end section shiftable between operative and inoperative positions closing and opening, res ectively, the corresponding end of said chamber, S318 housing including air inlet means for the end of said chamber remote from said end section of said housing, said air inlet means having air pump means and resistance-type heating element means operatively associated therewith for pumping heated air into the end of said chamber remote form said end section of said housing, said end section including air outlet means for venting the adjacent end of said chamber to the ambient atmosphere when said end section is in its operative position closing the adjacent end of said chamber, said chamber having a diameter only slightly greater than the maximum diameter of the football, a wire basket disposed in said chamber opening endwise outwardly of said end thereof adjacent said end section of said housing, said basket being of a size and shape to snugly receive a football therein and operative to support said football in lengthwise position in said chamber with the maximum diameter surfaces of said football disposed in closely spaced relation relative to the inner surfaces of the walls of said chamber, said basket comprising a plurality of generally U-shaped member disposed in relav tively angularly displaced planes intersecting along a line defining the center line of said chamber, said end section being generally conical in shape so as to complete the football shape of said housing when said end section is in its operative position.

2. The combination of claim 1 including an insulative body disposed between the walls of said chamber and the adjacent wall portions of said housing.

3. The combination of claim 1 including an elongated shoulder strap secured at opposite ends to longitudinally spaced portions of one side wall portion of said housing, said strap including means for adjusting its effective length, and a handle attached to said one side wall portion of said housing intermediate said longitudinally spaced one side wall portions. 

1. A football dryer comprising an elongated hollow footballshaped housing defining a central longitudinal cylindrical chamber therein, one end of said housing including an end section shiftable between operative and inoperative positions closing and opening, respectively, the corresponding end of said chamber, said housing including air inlet means for the end of said chamber remote from said end section of said housing, said air inlet means having air pump means and resistance-type heating element means operatively associated therewith for pumping heated air into the end of said chamber remote from said end section of said housing, said end section including air outlet means for venting the adjacent end of said chamber to the ambient atmosphere when said end section is in its operative position closing the adjacent end of said chamber, said chamber having a diameter only slightly greater than the maximum diameter of the football, a wire basket disposed in said chamber opening endwise outwardly of said end thereof adjacent said end section Of said housing, said basket being of a size and shape to snugly receive a football therein and operative to support said football in lengthwise position in said chamber with the maximum diameter surfaces of said football disposed in closely spaced relation relative to the inner surfaces of the walls of said chamber, said basket comprising a plurality of generally U-shaped members disposed in relatively angularly displaced planes intersecting along a line defining the center line of said chamber, said end section being generally conical in shape so as to complete the football shape of said housing when said end section is in its operative position.
 2. The combination of claim 1 including an insulative body disposed between the walls of said chamber and the adjacent wall portions of said housing.
 3. The combination of claim 1 including an elongated shoulder strap secured at opposite ends to longitudinally spaced portions of one side wall portion of said housing, said strap including means for adjusting its effective length, and a handle attached to said one side wall portion of said housing intermediate said longitudinally spaced one side wall portions. 